The present invention relates to a device for recovering refrigerant, particularly chlorofluorocarbons, from a closed cooling system such as a refrigerator or an air conditioning installation. These are closed cooling systems under higher than atmospheric pressure from which the refrigerant has to be removed before the discarded cooling installations are scrapped. The refrigerant of the cooling system consists generally of chlorofluorocarbons which have a harmful effect on the environment. Release of these refrigerants during scrapping of the cooling installation must be limited as far as possible.
The Netherlands patent application 8902218 describes a method and a device for emptying cooling installations containing chlorofluorocarbons. The cooling system is herein drained and a division is arranged in the first instance between oil and gases present in the cooling system. The refrigerant is ultimately collected in a pressure vessel. It has been found in practice however that air is also sucked along during draining of the cooling system and that this air cannot be selectively discharged via a molecular sieve acting semi-permeably which should be air permeable and impermeable to chlorofluorocarbons.
The present invention has for its object to provide a device for recovering refrigerant, wherein air can be exhausted in adequate manner without any appreciable emission of refrigerant, namely chlorofluorocarbons, occurring.